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Hex Signs

Hex Signs

Hex signsare
a form ofPennsylvania Dutchfolk
art, related tofraktur, found in theFancy
Dutchtradition inPennsylvania Dutch Country.
Barn paintings, usually in the form of "stars in circles," began to appear on the landscape in the early 19th century, and became widespread decades later when commercial paint became readily available. By the 1950s commercialized hex signs, aimed at the tourist market, became popular and these often include stars,compass roses, stylized birds known asdistelfinks,hearts,tulips,
or atree of life. Two schools of thought exist on the meaning of hex signs. One school ascribes atalismanicnature
to the signs, the other sees them as purely decorative, or "Chust for nice" in the local dialect.Both schools recognize that there are sometimes superstitions associated with certain hex sign themes, and neither ascribes strong magical power to them.TheAmishdo
not use hex signs.